


Four Candles

by Coraleeveritas



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Baking, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Married Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-25
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-08-17 07:14:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8134993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coraleeveritas/pseuds/Coraleeveritas
Summary: Jaime had never made a cake before but he was determined not to let the boxes of flour, sugar and eggs set out on the perfectly marbled kitchen bench get the better of him. Besides, even the worst of the contestants on Bake Off hadn't made such a simple sponge look to be beyond his capabilities.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know quite where this came from, but here we are and I wrote a story about Jaime baking. This has been written in the same universe as 'Honor' (hence the reason why it's being posted today) and 'Strawberries and Cream' (if you'd like more background on Daven and Walda.)
> 
> Huge thanks, as always, to RoseHeart for her support and beta-ing skills!

Jaime had never made a cake before but he was determined not to let the boxes of flour, sugar and eggs set out on the perfectly marbled kitchen bench get the better of him. Besides, even the worst of the contestants on Bake Off hadn't made such a simple sponge look to be beyond his capabilities. It was all a matter of stirring and timing, neither of which were a foreign concept due to the numerous times Brienne had guided his wandering attentions to a pan while attempting to carefully recreate some of their favourite meals.

Though he had thought about calling his cousin Daven's new girlfriend, food blogger and regular morning breakfast TV personality, Walda Frey, for advice, he soon discovered that the process of making birthday cake batter wasn't all that dissimilar to putting together the ingredients for Brienne's dad's amazing scotch pancakes. The only unusual flavouring he had to add this time was chocolate and, if he was following the printed off recipe correctly, there wasn't much more to that than combining the pile of dry powder with the creamed mixture.

By the time Jaime had transferred the pan of chocolate sludge from the bowl to the oven, and cleaned up after himself, he could have driven half way across town to pick up a professionally decorated celebration cake. But for his girl's special day he hadn't wanted to take the easy way out, no matter how time consuming baking may turn out to be. And, judging by the regular whirring of their often underused oven, at least the apartment should still be smelling sweet for Brienne's return later that morning.

Feeling satisfied from another quick check of the instructions that the actual cooking part would take thirty to forty minutes, Jaime closed the kitchen door and headed out to run the pair of Labradors who'd been patiently waiting for him to finish his culinary experiments. While they barked and ran around his ankles, begging for balls to be thrown and heads to be patted, the quiet morning gave him a chance to enjoy the uninterrupted view behind the house he'd come to think of as home. Brienne had found it originally, a pretty, unassuming green doored semi on a family friendly cul-de-sac that was so far removed from his own upbringing, it could have been on another planet. Though he'd thought it small at first, smaller still after they'd emptied their shared apartment into the three bedroom space, Jaime had soon discovered that there was no comparison to Casterly's icy environment after his mother had died. Clichéd as it may be, money could not buy the warmth of love he felt just thinking about the life he'd made here with Brienne.

The air remained sweet and without the bitter hint of burnt sponge when he returned from his countryside musings, surrounded by contended wagging tails, so Jaime decided there was little risk in leaving the cake alone for a few more minutes and follow up his workout with a much needed shower. The soothing spray of water felt heavenly, if a little lonely, and, though he could have stayed there for hours hoping that she might join him, he knew Brienne wouldn't be much longer.

His hair was still wet and his feet bare when he removed the cake from the heat, only slightly disappointed that it didn't exactly look like the promised picture. In the short amount of time he'd known Walda, Jaime had never seen her mess up a bake. Her beautifully airy, moist, golden cakes never rose just on one side or were slightly burnt around the edges like his was. Jaime figured most of the damage could be hidden beneath a mountain of frosting, decorative silver ball bearings and candles with no one being the wiser. In fact, he was surveying his architectural efforts while licking the last of the chocolate fudge frosting from his fingers when Brienne's key turned in the front door, her sigh as heavy as the bags she dropped to the wood panelled floor.

She had to make a second trip back to the car, having volunteered earlier to go and pick up the extra party supplies from Margaery, who was now living three streets away. They had both wanted to keep things as small as possible but there seemed to be numerous relatives they'd missed off the original list. And then her dad decided to fly in last minute instead of just seeing them all during their pre-Christmas trip. Apparently birthdays remained a big deal in the Tarth household and his presence at each of them was a necessity, rather than the result of a random series of coincidental events. Jaime's own father had sent a messenger with a congratulatory cheque.

Shaking away the memory of party planners and the right kind of moneyed acquaintances when all he'd wanted was his mother back, Jaime habitually closed the kitchen door, having learned the hard way that their dogs could get into virtually anything, greeting his flushed and flustered wife with a wide grin.

"You're back early," he casually pointed out while she gave him a quick once over, before relaxing into his offered doorstep hug. Jaime was unable to hold back from nuzzling along the freckled surface of her neck while keeping one eye on the quiet street beyond their open gate. "Which ran out first; Margaery's supplies or the space in your car?"

"Space," Brienne confirmed, pulling back so that their lips met briefly. "There's apparently another room of stuff we could have picked from at Highgarden House." She paused, her voice dropping to a whisper as he joined her for the final collection from the car. "Including several carousel horses I had to say 'no' to."

Jaime's brows raised in sympathetic agreement, wondering just how much of a disaster that addition had the potential to be. "Do you want me to get her out?"

"Please. I think she's missed you."

"I've missed both of you," he replied, quick as a whip and without a hint of the sarcasm he so often relied on.

"We've only been gone two hours, Jaime." He couldn't see Brienne roll her eyes as he dipped into the back seat of the car, but Jaime knew her well enough to almost hear the fluttering of her eyelashes, a fully formed retort interrupted by a squeal of delight.

"Daddy!"

"Happy Birthday, sweetling," he grinned, deftly undoing the fastenings on her car seat and opening his arms for the little blonde girl to jump into, her bright blue eyes an exact mirror of her mother's.

"You already said that at breakfast. And after you kissed Mummy goodbye."

"I know, but I can say it as many times as I want until tomorrow. And so can everyone else," he nodded, sticking his tongue out and making her giggle. "How was Auntie Margaery?"

"She said I was getting tall," Honor replied in a far more considered manner than her four years should have granted, looking across at him from where she was now resting her on his hip. "I told her you were all still taller."

Jaime laughed as he took the final bag off Brienne and stole another much too quick kiss in the process. Her friend really did have a never ending supply of streamers and balloons, children's parties almost an every day occurrence at Highgarden, with all the cousins and siblings Margaery had. "Uncle Tyrion will be so pleased to hear that you're starting to sound like a Lannister."

"But I am a Lannister," Honor insisted, scrunching her nose so that all her freckles mushed together. He tried not to smile at her little stubborn face. With every passing month she was looking more and more like Brienne and it was truly adorable.

"You've always taken after your mother."

She seemed to accept that, even if she didn't completely understand the significance, asking to be put down as soon as they stepped into the hallway so that she could introduce her new doll to the rest of the family before lunch. Jaime waved to her as Honor carefully climbed stair by stair under his watchful gaze, ready to catch her should she fall. As she disappeared into her room, he reached out to catch a different Tarth, pulling Brienne close enough to wrap an arm around her thick waist and hungrily claim her lips.

"I made a cake while you were out," he breathed as she ran her fingers through his mane.

"You did what?" She took a step back, needing to look him in the eye to determine whether or not he was joking.

"I baked a cake for Honor's birthday," Jaime repeated. "It was one of the only Lannister family traditions I'd like to share with her."

"You're ridiculous." It wasn't the first time Brienne had informed him of such, but she hadn't ever followed it up with a moment of such startling insight. "Oh god, Joanna used to do that for you when you were little." Jaime nodded but didn't say anything, letting his wife continue. "It's a good tradition to hold on to. Honor will love it, she'll be bragging to everyone about her amazing daddy. Her teachers already love you, they'll-"

"And I love _you_. Now and forever." He leaned in to seal the often spoke oath but a bang that sounded suspiciously like a doll house falling over stopped him in his tracks. "I love her, too, but do you think your dad would take her tomorrow?"

"Oh," Brienne blushed as he raised an eyebrow and smiled slowly, letting one corner of his mouth quirk in a way that had, so far, never failed to get a reaction. "Yes. Yes, that'd be nice."

"It's going to be more than 'nice', my love," Jaime promised, failing to resist the urge for the final word as Honor finally cried out for Brienne to come and save the day. "Maybe we can try and make her a sibling."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
